3D Earth and Mineral Science Museum exhibit imagines life in time of dinosaurs

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Kaitlyn Horisk plans to move on from Penn State after she earns her doctorate in geosciences but she’s leaving something behind.

Horisk, who focused her studies to include science communication and museum sciences, spearheaded a new exhibit in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences’ (EMS) Museum and Art Gallery. The exhibit, titled "Cretaceous Oceans and Climate," showcases life in the time of the dinosaurs. Exhibit development was assisted by Kimberly Lau, assistant professor of geosciences, and others in the Department of Geosciences and funded by The National Science Foundation.

Lau’s research focuses on understanding the chemical conditions where little to no oxygen was present in the Cretaceous oceans from 145 to 66 million years ago. It’s a period made famous for the prevalence of dinosaurs before their sudden extinction brought on by a massive meteor strike.

“The exhibit tells the story of this alien world, both on the ground and under the sea. It also illustrates the way scientists at Penn State are able to look back in time and understand the way oxygen levels changed in the ocean waters, and how this affected marine life,” Horisk said. “The exhibit tells us how carbon can be released into the atmosphere, but also stored in biological and geological materials. These processes are what gave us the coal deposits that shaped the economy of Pennsylvania but are also driving global warming.”

Based on the fossil records, the 3D art exhibit imagines what a Cretaceous ocean would have looked like. To create it, Horisk and Lau worked with museum leaders — including former interim museum director Julianne Snider and curator Patti Wood Finkle — to craft a theme. Lau wrote the informational text and she, along with Horisk, tested prototypes with students taking undergraduate level geosciences courses.

“We wanted this exhibit to resonate with both experts and non-experts,” Horisk said. “We used this feedback to make key improvements, which we identified as successful by the next round of students who came in.”

Horisk, who said the experience was invaluable as she applies for jobs, said she wanted to give back to a museum that has so much to offer experts and the general public. She said it offers something for everyone, including art, minerals, and exhibits created by undergraduate students and experts alike. She's expected to earn her doctorate in February.

Lau said it’s important for geoscientists to be good communicators of their work. She praised Horisk’s effort for creating a unique exhibit while incorporating undergraduate students in the process.

“Collections are really important for research, teaching and outreach, and so broadly designing this exhibit and its associated activities has also been really wonderful for our undergraduates and science communication education more broadly,” Lau said. “Especially when there’s a need to bridge technical knowledge to a general audience.”

The museum, which is open 10 a.m.–5 p.m. most weekdays, is located on the ground floor of the Deike Building on the University Park campus.